Located in Ankara, Turkey, Bilkent University was created in 1984.
With foreign students from more than 72 countries attending Bilkent, anyone going to Turkey to study will be comfortable experiencing Turkish culture with the company of other student travelers.
Aside from the long-standing opera houses and modern dance theaters, the city of Ankara also boasts many markets and scattered shops. The business district offers antiques, jewelry and traditional kilims, or in English, rugs.
After visiting the numerous historical sites in Ankara, students can choose to spend their weekends traveling to places such as Istanbul or visit the Mediterranean and Black Seas. When it comes time to refuel after traveling the countryside of Turkey, students can choose to purchase a meal plan from the Table D’hote Cafeteria at the university or they can roam the dining district of Ankuva to take pleasure in the Turkish culinary arts.
When Turkish cuisine gets students sleepy, the residence halls at the university are a comfortable place to relax. The living quarters at Bilkent are fully furnished including a bed, desk and bookcase as well as Internet capabilities and local and international direct-dial phones.
Students interested in the fall program arrive in August or early September, with classes beginning mid-September and ending in mid-January. Spring semester travelers arrive in early February, begin classes in mid-February and finish at the end of May. Both semester travel time periods include an orientation, course registration and Turkish courses.
The Bilkent exchange program is sponsored by SDSU’s International Student Center and the department of arts, design and art history. Other study abroad universities in Turkey sponsored by SDSU’s ISC are Anadolu University and Bogazici University.
Friday 25 September 2009
Thursday 17 September 2009
Eiffel Tower promotes France's 'Turkish Season'
The Eiffel Tower, which has become a global icon of France, will be lit up with the colors of the Turkish flag as part of the ongoing "Turkey Season" activities in France.
Turkish President Abdullah Gül will pay a state visit to France on Oct. 6 to attend the opening of the exhibition "Istanbul through the Ages" at the Grand Palais. The Paris Municipality decided to make a gesture to President Gül and light up the tower with the colors of the Turkish flag (red and white) from Oct. 5 to Oct. 11.
"Turkey Season" activities began with a performance by the Anatolian Fire dance group in front of the Eiffel tower in July. Among other related events there will be exhibitions and performances.
The newly opened Paris Bosphorus Institute aims to promote Turkish culture in the French capital even after the season ends, as well as to create an independent and objective dialogue platform.
"Our primary aim is to eliminate the prejudices between the two nations," Chairman of the Board of Directors of AXA and member of the institute Henri de Castries said.
The institute will become active with a conference to be held in Istanbul on Oct. 22-23. Prominent Turkish and French politicians, businessmen, economists and opinion leaders will meet in a "science council" formed within the body of the institute.
Turkish President Abdullah Gül will pay a state visit to France on Oct. 6 to attend the opening of the exhibition "Istanbul through the Ages" at the Grand Palais. The Paris Municipality decided to make a gesture to President Gül and light up the tower with the colors of the Turkish flag (red and white) from Oct. 5 to Oct. 11.
"Turkey Season" activities began with a performance by the Anatolian Fire dance group in front of the Eiffel tower in July. Among other related events there will be exhibitions and performances.
The newly opened Paris Bosphorus Institute aims to promote Turkish culture in the French capital even after the season ends, as well as to create an independent and objective dialogue platform.
"Our primary aim is to eliminate the prejudices between the two nations," Chairman of the Board of Directors of AXA and member of the institute Henri de Castries said.
The institute will become active with a conference to be held in Istanbul on Oct. 22-23. Prominent Turkish and French politicians, businessmen, economists and opinion leaders will meet in a "science council" formed within the body of the institute.
Thursday 10 September 2009
Fake Turkish Big Brother House
Nine young Turkish women thought they were part of a "Big Brother" reality show, but in fact had been tricked and locked up at a resort villa while the perpetrators allegedly sold their images on the Internet.
The nine were freed when Turkish military stormed the resort villa near Istabul on Monday. Britain's Sky News reports that the women knew something was wrong when the show failed to follow the usual format of putting them through tests and kicking some of them out of the house.
Sky News says that when the women demanded to be released, they were told they would first have to pay around $30,000 fine.
The private Dogan news agency in Turkey says the women had responded to an ad saying the show would be broadcast on a major Turkish TV station and had to sign a contract stipulating they could have no contact with their families or the outside world.
HaberTurk newspaper, quoting a person identified as the mother of one of the women, says the nine were not abused or harassed sexually, but were told to fight each other and to wear bikinis and dance by the villa's pool.
There were conflicting reports by Turkish media on how the authorities were tipped off. One says family members became concerned and called police, while another says one of the women was able to get word to a family member about their plight.
The nine were freed when Turkish military stormed the resort villa near Istabul on Monday. Britain's Sky News reports that the women knew something was wrong when the show failed to follow the usual format of putting them through tests and kicking some of them out of the house.
Sky News says that when the women demanded to be released, they were told they would first have to pay around $30,000 fine.
The private Dogan news agency in Turkey says the women had responded to an ad saying the show would be broadcast on a major Turkish TV station and had to sign a contract stipulating they could have no contact with their families or the outside world.
HaberTurk newspaper, quoting a person identified as the mother of one of the women, says the nine were not abused or harassed sexually, but were told to fight each other and to wear bikinis and dance by the villa's pool.
There were conflicting reports by Turkish media on how the authorities were tipped off. One says family members became concerned and called police, while another says one of the women was able to get word to a family member about their plight.
Monday 7 September 2009
Turkish companies organize first Baghdad trade fair
The first commercial fair in the Iraqi capital since the US invaded the country seven years ago will be arranged by a Turkish company. Seventy-five Turkish companies will attend the fair to snap up their share of the $25 billion construction material market.
There have been no commercial fairs in Iraq since 2003, when US troops stormed the country to overthrow Saddam Hussein's dictatorship with a promise to bring democracy in the Middle Eastern nation. The US army succeeded in toppling the Iraqi ruler, but has failed to establish order in the country. Security is still the most essential issue for investors in Iraq, where dozens are killed by bombs nearly every day.
Forum Fuarcılık, a Turkish fair organization company, is arranging the fair, which will run between Sept. 27 and 29. A presentation on investment opportunities in Iraq will be organized as part of the fair. Additionally, the general directors of the construction, electricity and shopping center divisions of Iraqi public companies working under the auspices of the ministries of trade, industry and construction will hold special meetings during the fair to describe the opportunities available to Turkish companies interested in Iraq.
There have been no commercial fairs in Iraq since 2003, when US troops stormed the country to overthrow Saddam Hussein's dictatorship with a promise to bring democracy in the Middle Eastern nation. The US army succeeded in toppling the Iraqi ruler, but has failed to establish order in the country. Security is still the most essential issue for investors in Iraq, where dozens are killed by bombs nearly every day.
Forum Fuarcılık, a Turkish fair organization company, is arranging the fair, which will run between Sept. 27 and 29. A presentation on investment opportunities in Iraq will be organized as part of the fair. Additionally, the general directors of the construction, electricity and shopping center divisions of Iraqi public companies working under the auspices of the ministries of trade, industry and construction will hold special meetings during the fair to describe the opportunities available to Turkish companies interested in Iraq.
Thursday 27 August 2009
Protests rise as Turkish renovation work turns church into mosque
Istanbul - Restoration work that would result in an historic Greek Orthodox church being recognized as a mosque has caused uproar in Turkey, reported the daily Milliyet newspaper on Tuesday.
At issue is the 178-year-old St Dimitrios church in the northern Turkish village of Silivri.
The village was once a Greek settlement but, after the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, ethnic Greek residents had to leave in a forced resettlement that swapped 1.5 million ethnic Greeks from Turkey for 600,000 ethnic Turks living in northern Greece. After the resettlement, the church was briefly used for prayers while work was underway to build a mosque for the new Muslim residents. A minaret was attached to the building, but its cross was never removed.
Later, the church was used for storage and as a stall. However, current work on the church is being billed as 'restoration of the Ortakoy Mosque,' causing an uproar.
'There is no doubt that this structure is a church. It's a church even if it was briefly used as a mosque,' said Turkish architect and college instructor Oktay Ekinci.
Adding to the grievances is the fact that the renovation work was approved by local leaders of the AKP Justice and Development Party, which runs the government at the national level. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said in the past that protecting minority rights is a priority in Turkey.
At issue is the 178-year-old St Dimitrios church in the northern Turkish village of Silivri.
The village was once a Greek settlement but, after the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, ethnic Greek residents had to leave in a forced resettlement that swapped 1.5 million ethnic Greeks from Turkey for 600,000 ethnic Turks living in northern Greece. After the resettlement, the church was briefly used for prayers while work was underway to build a mosque for the new Muslim residents. A minaret was attached to the building, but its cross was never removed.
Later, the church was used for storage and as a stall. However, current work on the church is being billed as 'restoration of the Ortakoy Mosque,' causing an uproar.
'There is no doubt that this structure is a church. It's a church even if it was briefly used as a mosque,' said Turkish architect and college instructor Oktay Ekinci.
Adding to the grievances is the fact that the renovation work was approved by local leaders of the AKP Justice and Development Party, which runs the government at the national level. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said in the past that protecting minority rights is a priority in Turkey.
Thursday 13 August 2009
Israeli Navy to partake in Turkish exercise
In a sign that tension between Jerusalem and Ankara has cooled down, two Israeli Navy missile ships will sail to Turkey next week to participate in the annual Reliant Mermaid search-and-rescue naval exercise.
The maneuvers will be held in the Mediterranean Sea together with the Turkish and American forces. The exercise, the first joint one with Turkish forces since relations with Ankara grew tense during Operation Cast Lead, will begin on August 17.
Several months after the January war, OC Ground Forces Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrachi said in a lecture that Prime Minister Recep Erdogan needed to "look in a mirror" - and see the Armenian genocide and Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus - before criticizing Israel.
Mizrachi's comments were negatively received in Ankara, particularly by the Turkish military, which is a strategic partner to the IDF. Since Operation Cast Lead, the IAF - which regularly flew over Turkey for training - has yet to deploy there and even sat out of a large-scale aerial exercise called Anatalian Eagle, which was held in June, and which it had attended in previous years.
The Reliant Mermaid exercise is aimed at improving coordination between the Israeli, US and Turkish navies. Part of the challenge is for all three navies to communicate in joint search-and-rescue operations that could arise in the future.
The maneuvers will be held in the Mediterranean Sea together with the Turkish and American forces. The exercise, the first joint one with Turkish forces since relations with Ankara grew tense during Operation Cast Lead, will begin on August 17.
Several months after the January war, OC Ground Forces Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrachi said in a lecture that Prime Minister Recep Erdogan needed to "look in a mirror" - and see the Armenian genocide and Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus - before criticizing Israel.
Mizrachi's comments were negatively received in Ankara, particularly by the Turkish military, which is a strategic partner to the IDF. Since Operation Cast Lead, the IAF - which regularly flew over Turkey for training - has yet to deploy there and even sat out of a large-scale aerial exercise called Anatalian Eagle, which was held in June, and which it had attended in previous years.
The Reliant Mermaid exercise is aimed at improving coordination between the Israeli, US and Turkish navies. Part of the challenge is for all three navies to communicate in joint search-and-rescue operations that could arise in the future.
Friday 7 August 2009
A Close Look at Turkish Ceramics
Lovers of colorful ceramics will be captivated by “Dance of Fire,” an exhibit of the famed İznik pottery, tiles and other objects dating from the 15th to 17th centuries.
But the show, at the cozy Sadberk Hanim Museum in Sariyer, a sector of Istanbul on the European shore of the Bosporus, is more than a look back at a colorful art form, it’s a lesson in economics that resonates even today.
İznik, formerly known as Nicea, site of the ancient Greeks’ Council of Nicea, has historically been an important center for ceramics production. Some of its workshops’ best work can still be seen on the walls of Topkapi Palace in the Sultanahmet neighborhood, or inside the challenging-to-locate Rustem Pasha mosque in Eminonu.
But Sadberk Hanim is the place to go for an intriguing overview of the rise and fall of İznik tile empire, a lesson in supply and demand gone awry.
More than 300 pieces of the highly collectible tiles have been assembled and put on display together for the first time in this jewel of a museum, housed in several rooms of a restored Ottoman-era yali, or river house, that was later used as the summer home of the prominent Koc family.
Visitors learn from the well-written explanations in English and Turkish all about the early, traditional designs (carnations, tulips) and color palates (mainly blues and white) of İznik ware. (Potters, for example, didn’t include turquoise until around 1520, and it took another hundred or so years for them to expand into purples, olives and black.)
The quality of tile production peaked during the second half of the 16th century under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent when large orders were placed by royal edict.
As production expanded, so did artistry. Designs grew more stylized and the types of objects produced expanded beyond plates and tiles to lidded bowls, water flasks and more.
But at the start of the 17th century, an economic crisis struck. Low-cost porcelain imports from China led Ottoman producers to try to compete and the quality was sacrificed to try to regain market share.
Classic Iznik production essentially ended in 1719, the exhibit says, when one of the last workshops was moved to Istanbul but did not survive for long.
But the show, at the cozy Sadberk Hanim Museum in Sariyer, a sector of Istanbul on the European shore of the Bosporus, is more than a look back at a colorful art form, it’s a lesson in economics that resonates even today.
İznik, formerly known as Nicea, site of the ancient Greeks’ Council of Nicea, has historically been an important center for ceramics production. Some of its workshops’ best work can still be seen on the walls of Topkapi Palace in the Sultanahmet neighborhood, or inside the challenging-to-locate Rustem Pasha mosque in Eminonu.
But Sadberk Hanim is the place to go for an intriguing overview of the rise and fall of İznik tile empire, a lesson in supply and demand gone awry.
More than 300 pieces of the highly collectible tiles have been assembled and put on display together for the first time in this jewel of a museum, housed in several rooms of a restored Ottoman-era yali, or river house, that was later used as the summer home of the prominent Koc family.
Visitors learn from the well-written explanations in English and Turkish all about the early, traditional designs (carnations, tulips) and color palates (mainly blues and white) of İznik ware. (Potters, for example, didn’t include turquoise until around 1520, and it took another hundred or so years for them to expand into purples, olives and black.)
The quality of tile production peaked during the second half of the 16th century under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent when large orders were placed by royal edict.
As production expanded, so did artistry. Designs grew more stylized and the types of objects produced expanded beyond plates and tiles to lidded bowls, water flasks and more.
But at the start of the 17th century, an economic crisis struck. Low-cost porcelain imports from China led Ottoman producers to try to compete and the quality was sacrificed to try to regain market share.
Classic Iznik production essentially ended in 1719, the exhibit says, when one of the last workshops was moved to Istanbul but did not survive for long.
Monday 27 July 2009
Turkish navy commandos capture pirates off Somalia
Turkish commandos captured five pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Friday as part of a NATO mission to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia, the military said.
The navy commandos, aided by a helicopter, raided a skiff as the pirates on board were about to launch an attack on a ship.
NATO member Turkey has sent a warship to the Gulf of Aden under an international mission deployed off Somalia since the turn of the year to try to prevent attacks.
Somali sea gangs, operating in the strategic shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe, have made millions of dollars in ransom from hijacking vessels in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
Piracy has ballooned off the Somali coast in recent years where the sea gangs continue to defy foreign navies patrolling the vast shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe.
The navy commandos, aided by a helicopter, raided a skiff as the pirates on board were about to launch an attack on a ship.
NATO member Turkey has sent a warship to the Gulf of Aden under an international mission deployed off Somalia since the turn of the year to try to prevent attacks.
Somali sea gangs, operating in the strategic shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe, have made millions of dollars in ransom from hijacking vessels in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
Piracy has ballooned off the Somali coast in recent years where the sea gangs continue to defy foreign navies patrolling the vast shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe.
Friday 17 July 2009
Turkey readies for smoking ban
Turkey will on Sunday introduce a tight ban on smoking in cafes, restaurants and bars, wielding fines for offenders, in a bid to break a national habit blamed for tens of thousands of deaths each year.
The ban is an extension of existing legislation introduced by the Islamist-rooted government, which prohibited smoking in workplaces and public spaces in May last year while giving cafes and restaurants 18 months to adjust.
Now that the transition period expires on July 19, the owners of these establishments have to clear up ashtrays, put up signs against smoking and refuse to serve clients who insist on lighting up.
Although the legislation allows smoking in the courtyards of these premises, the site in question should not be covered with even a sunshade or awning in order to qualify as an open space.
Non-compliance with the ban will result in a fine of 69 liras (45 dollars, 32 euros) for smokers while the establishment itself will have to pay 560 liras for a first-time offence and up to 5,600 liras for repeat offences.
Official statistics say almost one in three Turkish adults smoke — a rate that reaches 48 percent among men — putting the country in 10th place in tobacco consumption in the world.
Smoking-related illnesses are reponsible for nearly 100,000 deaths a year, according to the Turkish Temperance Society.
Owners of bars and cafes have long been appealing for a delay in the introduction of the ban, especially in the midst of an economic crisis, but the health ministry has refused to budge and drafted in some 5,000 inspectors to make sure it is implemented.
Recent surveys suggest the majority of the Turkish public is behind the ban, but there is hardly any enthusiasm at a traditional coffee house in Tomtom Kaptan in Istanbul where patrons play cards or dominos with cigarettes hanging from the corners of their mouths.
The ban is an extension of existing legislation introduced by the Islamist-rooted government, which prohibited smoking in workplaces and public spaces in May last year while giving cafes and restaurants 18 months to adjust.
Now that the transition period expires on July 19, the owners of these establishments have to clear up ashtrays, put up signs against smoking and refuse to serve clients who insist on lighting up.
Although the legislation allows smoking in the courtyards of these premises, the site in question should not be covered with even a sunshade or awning in order to qualify as an open space.
Non-compliance with the ban will result in a fine of 69 liras (45 dollars, 32 euros) for smokers while the establishment itself will have to pay 560 liras for a first-time offence and up to 5,600 liras for repeat offences.
Official statistics say almost one in three Turkish adults smoke — a rate that reaches 48 percent among men — putting the country in 10th place in tobacco consumption in the world.
Smoking-related illnesses are reponsible for nearly 100,000 deaths a year, according to the Turkish Temperance Society.
Owners of bars and cafes have long been appealing for a delay in the introduction of the ban, especially in the midst of an economic crisis, but the health ministry has refused to budge and drafted in some 5,000 inspectors to make sure it is implemented.
Recent surveys suggest the majority of the Turkish public is behind the ban, but there is hardly any enthusiasm at a traditional coffee house in Tomtom Kaptan in Istanbul where patrons play cards or dominos with cigarettes hanging from the corners of their mouths.
Thursday 7 May 2009
Turkish Food and Culture
I have always been keen in broadening my cooking repertoire and have been thinking about exploring Turkish cuisine. I have been doing a bit of research into the recipes and have found out some interesting things.
Turkish food is one of the three major cuisines in the world the other two being French and Chinese. It is made up of simple recipes which uses quality ingredients. The most popular dish in Turkey is Kuru Fasulye.
It is cooked in all regions of Turkey, particularly in winter. If no fresh meat is availble, dried meat is used. In some regions it is prepared without meat and it can also be cooked by replacing the meat with finely choped tripe or with “pastırma”. It is served with bulgur pilaf and vegetable salad.
Turkish food is one of the three major cuisines in the world the other two being French and Chinese. It is made up of simple recipes which uses quality ingredients. The most popular dish in Turkey is Kuru Fasulye.
It is cooked in all regions of Turkey, particularly in winter. If no fresh meat is availble, dried meat is used. In some regions it is prepared without meat and it can also be cooked by replacing the meat with finely choped tripe or with “pastırma”. It is served with bulgur pilaf and vegetable salad.
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